Court orders against Mr Sean Mulryan and Ballymore Securities Ltd, granted last week to a former special adviser to former Taoiseach Mr Charles Haughey, have been lifted in the High Court by Mr Justice Kelly.
Ms Catherine Butler, an executive assistant, of Harbour View, Howth, Co Dublin, had claimed Mr Mulryan and Ballymore Securities intended to terminate her contract because she might be obliged to give evidence to the Moriarty tribunal. She had told the court she worked as political assistant to Mr Haughey, then leader of the Opposition, in 1981 and had been appointed special adviser on his election as Taoiseach in March 1987, retiring five years later when he stepped down as Taoiseach.
Last month she had been notified by the tribunal she might be required to co-operate in its investigation into Mr Haughey's affairs. On advising Mr Mulryan of this he had expressed concern about the implications it might have for him and his company and told her he could not keep her in her £60,000-a-year job. He had wanted her to become a self-employed consultant.
The court had heard there was no suggestion her conduct had been discreditable or that any suggestion of impropriety was being made against her. Ms Emily Egan, counsel for Ms Butler, told Mr Justice Kelly her client was consenting to court injunctions being lifted against Mr Mulryan and his company on undertakings being given to the court by each of the defendants that they would not terminate Ms Butler's contract of employment between now and September 8th, breach that contract or commit acts of intimidation against her.
Mr Justice Kelly said that on the basis of the undertakings given to the court he would dissolve the injunction restraining her dismissal and adjourn the matter until September 8th.